Home Exchange:
What are the benefits?
- The ultimate in Budget Travel - no
cost for accommodation - no hotel bills or hotel surcharges
- you can live like a local rather than
just a tourist; experience a different culture first hand
- enjoy all the space and convenience of
staying in a home rather than a room in a hotel
- reassurance that your home is occupied
while traveling
- your plants and pets may be cared for by
your home exchange partner
- for children, toys, books available
- the option of saving on car rental costs
by exchanging cars
- home cooked meals when you wish - saves
on restaurant meals
Why pay for a hotel room when
you can have free travel accommodation with a home exchange?
An entire home, multi rooms,
fully equipped kitchen, with room to stretch out and FREE
accommodation. No wonder more and more folks are getting
into exchanging homes as a vacation alternative. With a home
exchange, not only can you save on accommodation, car rentals and
meals, you also get the kind of close up look at another life
style that not even the highest priced hotel in town provides. By
trading homes for vacations families, seniors, couples and singles
can enjoy free accommodation wherever they travel.
What is a home Exchange? Simply
put a home exchange is when, two members agree to exchange homes
for a vacation. Typically, you will go to their home while
they are in yours. What ever your desired destination may be,
city, country side, beach or off the beaten path area, there are
people open to exchanging homes.
Home Exchange types
Simultaneous Home Exchange. The original. You stay in their
home while they stay in yours.
Non-Simultaneous Exchange. You stay in their home on one
date, later they stay in your home. Typically this is arranged by
two members with second homes or members who will be away and
their home is open. If you have a second home, the
flexibility can really help with arranging an exchange.
Hospitality Exchange. Guests come and stay with you as a
guest in your home. Later, you visit them as a guest in their
home.
Why a home exchange? Home
exchange is the smart way to vacation. By trading homes for
vacations, families, seniors and singles can enjoy free
accommodation wherever they travel. Swapping
homes for holidays is a practical and sensible vacation
alternative. Not only do you save by not paying for lodging
(hotel rooms, surcharges, resort fees and taxes), you can also
save by not paying for restaurant meals, parking, laundry,
internet connection, and much more.
How is an exchange arranged?
Swaps usually start with an offer emailed to a prospective
exchange partner who has been selected from a number of listings
resulting from a search. If the member feels an exchange might be
possible, they reply to the email and work out the details.
There is no timetable for how long this will take or what must be
done.
Trying to find
the "perfect exchange match" may reduce your chance of a
home swap. Being flexible on locations, dates and
accommodation will increase your chances of a good, successful
trade which is all most people want.
When considering home
exchange opportunities, most people aren't necessarily seeking
a home similar to their own but rather they consider the location.
Is it somewhere they would like to visit? Are there places
of interest easily accessible from the home? After location,
members will check the number of people the home will sleep to
decide if it will be suitable and, if they have any special needs,
whether these are available in the home.
Each home exchange is unique; a
bond of trust must be built as you get to know your home swap
partners and their family through e-mails, letters or phone calls.
Most people traveling on an exchange love the idea of no cost
accommodation especially because through their communications
ahead of time, they find themselves not staying at a strangers
home, but at new found friends, and they will be staying in your
home.
How do I get started?
In life there are spectators and participants. We want to
encourage you to not be a spectator by sitting back and waiting
for others to answer your listing. Participate in the fun by
sending out heaps of inquiries.
When would you like to
travel on an exchange? Some home exchangers like to plan
years ahead, while others are open to swapping homes within a few
days. Most people who are open to swapping homes for
vacations, start looking for exchange partners 4 to 12 months
ahead of leaving on their trip.
Where would you like to
travel to on an exchange? Many home exchange members are
available to travel to almost any destination, while others
are more specific. Perhaps it's to some popular worldwide
city destination such as New York, San Francisco, London, Paris,
Rome, Sydney and Vancouver. How about a beach home in Hawaii, the
Caribbean, Gold Coast, Western Australia, Spain, Florida or
Southern California. Maybe a the countryside location in
France, Denmark, Thailand, Canada or Argentina appeals to you or
maybe it's a ski resort in the Swiss Alps, Tahoe, Colorado,
Alberta or BC Canada that whets your appetite for travel.
What ever your destination may be, city, country side or off the
beaten path area, there are people open to exchanging homes.
Start by exploring the home
exchange listings. Then have fun planning and
writing your own listing.
List
your own home - A
listing is an advertisement. You are telling others that you
are interested in receiving home exchange offers. You
interest others and attract responses by what you say in your
listing. We recommend that you include photos with your
listing. Then describe some of the tourist and community
interests in your area followed by a little about your home and
family. If you have pets,
be sure to mention this as well. You can share more
information directly with those who respond.
You can join 5 home exchange
clubs for the price of one.
A one year multi club Global
listing displayed on five international home exchange clubs works
out to about $12 per club a year or about a dollar a month per
club. Multi home exchange club members will be able to
access and contact other members on Global plus members on our
partner clubs sites to inquire about and arrange a home exchange. This
provides you with access to listings on 5 home exchange sites for
the price of one. Our partner club members will also be able
to contact listings on Global as well as on their own home
exchange sites.
Actively
contact other members. Besides listing your home, send
out heaps of contact emails to others wanting home exchanges.
You are inquiring about the other members' interest in an exchange
with you. Be positive and tell then a bit about your home,
your family and community. You don't need to say too much
but definitely don't be negative or say too little. We
exchange homes as well. Here's a helpful suggestion that we
have successfully used.
After you decide on an area that you might like to travel, contact
every member that has listed their home regardless of their
desired destinations. Why? It is true that some
members have definite dates and destinations set that can not be
easily changed. However it is also true that several members
have listed desired destinations, but would also consider offers
from other locations. They just didn't say that in their
listing. By emailing all members in a chosen area you can
open up exchange opportunities that weren't stated.
When answering other member
offers for exchanges:
Send inquiries to others.
Be active. Send out heaps of emails. The
first letter you send to potential exchangers should express your
tentative interest, pending further correspondence.
Introduce your family, the
ages of your children, careers, hobbies and special interests.
Especially when teens and kids are involved, including a family
photo is a good idea.
Outline the advantages of
your home – i.e., its proximity to tourist attractions,
shopping, safe and quiet neighborhood, climate.
Provide a description
of the interior and exterior of your home
If offering a car, give the
make, year and condition. An automatic shift makes driving
easier for one unaccustomed to driving on the other side of the
road.
Provide references if you
are an experienced exchanger.
List your preferred dates
and length of exchange. The more flexible you are, the better your
chances.
Be honest.
Avoid misunderstandings by
having a written agreement about exchange dates, the number of
people involved, use of the car, and who pays what in terms of
utility and long-distance bills, etc.
Please
see Global
Home Exchange
for more home exchange ideas and information.
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